Scholastic Corp. launches on-line teaching network

NEW YORK -- Scholastic Corp., a publisher of children's books, classroom magazines, and educational materials, has launched the first on-line teaching network in partnership with America Online.

Called Scholastic Network, the service connects schools to a bank of information, resources and activities developed for students and teachers.

That includes news wires, data bases, the NASA library, the National Weather Service, on-line encyclopedias, live discussions with children's authors and political leaders, interactive learning projects and lesson plans created by Scholastic editors and other teachers using the system.

The network has been tested in 100 schools around the country.

On-line service for the network will be provided by America Online and will be accessible to any teacher or school with a personal computer, a modem and a phone line.

Rates for schools vary and begin at $295 for a year with five hours of usage. Schools requiring additional usage will have to pay a higher fee. Individual teachers can subscribe for $16.95 per month for five hours of service a month, with additional fees for additional service.

The fee for Scholastic Network also gives schools access to America Online.

Additional services, such as Spanish instruction and private bulletin boards for school district conference areas, can also be purchased.